Re: [SBB] Palo Alto 10/4

["Alvaro Jaramillo" <[[email protected]]>]

Chuq

   The sparrow is a Song Sparrow, but maybe not one of the local ones. The
bird in your photo looks to have some warm tones, and a muddy look to the
underparts which suggests it’s a bird from farther north. You can’t be sure
from the photo, but my guess is that its not a local. The bushtit eye color
is interesting, adult females have yellow or whitish eyes, males have brown
eyes. Youngsters start with brown eyes, after he first molt if the eyes
remain brown then they can be reliably sexed as males. 

Cheers

Al

Alvaro Jaramillo
[[email protected]]
Half Moon Bay, California
 
Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide
www.fieldguides.com
-----Original Message-----
From: [[email protected]]
[mailto:[[email protected]]] On Behalf Of Chuq Von
Rospach
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 9:38 AM
To: South Bay South Bay Birds
Cc: Chuq Von Rospach
Subject: [SBB] Palo Alto 10/4

I headed over to Baylands again yesterday afternoon to chase the  
sparrows and warblers. The picnic area was closed off, it looks like  
they were working on the plumbing, so that area was quiet.

As I parked next to the picnic area, the maintenance guys drove by in  
a truck and flushed a bird out of the trees. It landed on a branch  
about 6' from me -- it was a merlin, gave me nice looks, then flew  
off again back into the eucalyptus. It was last seen flying out  
behind the egret rookery playing "tag, you're it" with a pair of very  
unhappy pigeons.

Lots of blah-crowned sparrows; at one point, I counted 15 pecking on  
the gravel and more in the trees. Most white, I did see 2-3 golden.  
Completely struck out on warblers in the bushes and fennel yesterday.  
One of the male pheasants wandered out of the fennel not four feet  
from me, watched me for a bit, then casually wandered back in and  
disappeared.

One sparrow I tracked that was definitely not crowned I'm still not  
absolutely positive of the ID:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuqui/1490228501/

My best guess is that it's another Lincoln's, but I'd like  
confirmation. If so, it's my third of the season.

Also, I finally got some decent picks of a bushtit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuqui/1490228069/

I'm not sure I should count it, though. I had a flock fly through,  
but this one came in and sat -- almost 2 minutes in one location. I'm  
wondering if it's sick, it was acting very atypical for a tit. Also  
quiet.

I also have a quick question on the beast. If you look at it closely,  
it has the bright with pupil, not the black eye. Sibley's flags that  
as an interior variation. Is that notable for this area? or is it  
because it's young, female, or we're in an area where that happens?  
Just wanted to call it out in case it was interesting to anyone...

After playing in the fennel, I headed over to Bixbee park, just,  
well, because. I found the warblers over there -- 8-10 yellow-rumped  
wandering the trees and bushes. My only warblers of the day....


--
Chuq Von Rospach
[[email protected]]
http://chuqui.typepad.com



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